Conventional measuring devices frequently include a microprocessor control, which monitors process flow and processes measured values. However, this type of control is very inflexible, since, as a rule, significant effort is required, in order e.g. to replace the software of the microprocessor control or to expand the functionality of the device in other directions.
Usually, a program memory of the microprocessor control must be exchanged, or the program memory must—possibly in the field—at least be written over. Moreover, an adaptation of the software requires, almost independently of the scope of the changes, the expensive knowledge of specialists and, beyond that, much time.